New Attorney General Will Let States Legalize Marijuana

Although she personally opposes legalizing marijuana, new U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch thinks her predecessor’s policy of allowing states to implement their own cannabis laws without federal interference is “effective, consistent and rational.”

Lynch, who was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, defended the hands-off policy the Justice Department enacted under Eric Holder in response to written questions from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA).

“The Department’s August 2013 memorandum simply provides guidance, applicable to federal prosecutors in every state, regarding the use of the Department’s limited investigative and prosecutorial resources to address the most significant public health and public safety threats in an effective, consistent and rational way,” Lynch wrote in February.

The memo Lynch referred to outlines eight enforcement priorities which, if abided by, will generally protect states and people acting in accordance with state marijuana laws from federal interference.

During her confirmation hearing in January, Lynch stated her personal opposition to legalization. When asked about President Obama’s statement that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol, for example, she said, “I certainly don’t hold that view and don’t agree with that view of marijuana as a substance. I certainly think that the president was speaking from his personal experience and personal opinion, neither of which I’m able to share.

“But I can tell you that not only do I not support legalization of marijuana, it is not the position of the Department of Justice currently to support legalization, nor would it be the position if I were confirmed as attorney general,” she said.

While many reformers would prefer an attorney general who has more favorable views of marijuana and legalization, what matters most is whether the nation’s top cop will spend federal resources working to undermine the will of voters who have enacted reform in their own states. Lynch’s remarks indicate that she will not.

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About Author

Tom Angell founded Marijuana Majority to help more people understand that marijuana legalization is a mainstream, majority-supported issue and that no one who wants to end prohibition should be afraid to say so. Marijuana Majority led the effort to get the U.S. Conference of Mayors to pass a resolution telling the federal government to respect state marijuana laws, and orchestrated the first-ever endorsement for marijuana legalization from a U.S. Supreme Court justice (John Paul Stevens). Previously, Tom worked for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

So basically our new Attorney General is uneducated about cannabis. Full of stigma, lie’s and propaganda and using these reasons to commit sophistry and allow our country and the people fighting for this to waste their valuable time, money and resources to fight a losing battle. Did she mention the I.R.S.? Why they are busting in the doors of medical dispensary’s is due to the inability to write off business expenses and those dispensary’s refusing to add the expense back onto the price of their product or just waiting to do so? Some cases have been due to illegal activity but, in the I.R.S. cases all government officials who have allowed these business to operate have committed collusion. If anyone is interested. I am looking for an advocate position with this issue…peace1love, my activist site “be Marley” on Face Book, friend me and I will add you to closed and secret site. “Secret” in face book terms. Please become educated Loretta Lynch!…peace

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